Mattress-tufting apparatus.



No. 797,399. PATENTED AUG. 15, 1905.

G. W. BENT MATTRESS TUPTING APPARATUS.

APILIOATIONPILBD FEB. 23.1004.

3 BHBETS-SEEET l.

m'tizayaea. 4 272 0623592" M m M/Tflawf PATENTED AUG. 15, 1905.

G. W. BENT.

MATTRESS TUFTING- APPARATU$.

APPLICATION FILED r213. 23.1004.

No. 797,399. PATENTED AUG.15, 1905.

G.- Wu BENT.

MATTRE$S TUPTING APPARATUS).

APPLICATION FILED r1313. 2a, :;n4

ESHEBTS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MATTHES$-TUFTING APPARATUS" Iltio. 797,399.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Iatented Aug. 1d, 1905.

Application filed February 23, 1804. flerial No. 194,1.

flo m7] 1117mm, it party concern.

lilo it known that l, (l nouns W. Barri, acitinon of the United States, residing in Hydepark, in the county of Norfolk and State of ll lassach usetts, have invented an improvement in ll lattress-illufting Apparatus, of whichthe following description, in connection with the accompanying d rawings, isaspccilication, like characters on the drawings representing lilre parts.

'llhis invention relates to an apparatus for tufting mattresses, cushions, and like articles, and has for its object to provide a simple and efficient apparatus for the purpose specified.

in accordance with this invention ll employ a bed or support for the untuftcd mattress and a needle-carrier, one of which parts is bodily movable with relation to the other in a substantially vertical direction and in a substantially horizontal direction, and secure to said carrier a plurality of needles which are arranged at different points on said carrier, and preferably in longitudinal and transverse rows, so that the mattress may betufted with a single needle for each tuft, the said needles penetrating the mattress on one side of the tuft and then on the opposite side thereof, as will be described.

The mattress support or bed has cooperating with it a bodily-movable clamping member, between which and said bed the mattress is firmly hold while being tufted, and provision is made for quickly and easily moving said clamping member toward and away from the bed, and means are also provided for antomatically securing said movable clamping member in its operative position, as will be described.

The bed and the clamping member may and preferably will be provided with compress ing devices, by means of which the portions of the mattress through which the needles are passed are compressed and firmly held while said needles are being passed through the mattress. Provision is also made for securingor holding the twine or cord while it is passing through the mattress, as will be described, whereby a very considerable saving in twine may be edected, as will be described. These and other features of this invention will be pointed out in' the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is an end elevation with parts broken out of a tufting apparatus embody ing this invention, the clamping member being shown in its inoperative or elevated position; Fig. 2, asimilar elevation with the clamping member in its operative position; Fig. 3, a side elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a detail in plan and on an en larged scale of the bed shown in Figs. l and Q; Figs. 5, 6, 7, and it, details to illustrate the operation of the apparatus shown in l igs. l and 2; il ig. 9, a detail of a needle and its holder; Fig. 10, a detail of one of the compressing devices affixed to the clamping mem ber; l ig. lit, a plan of Fig. 10; Fig. l2, a plan of the compressing device secured to the bed; l3, an end elevation of the device shown in Fig. 12; Figs. l t and i5, details of a tuft to be referred to.

in the apparatus herein shown as embody-- ing this invention a plurality of substantially vertical needles rt are secured to a carrier composed of side bars if, end bars 0, and intermediate longitudinally-entended bars of, preferably adjustably secured to the end bars 0 to move laterally thereon. The longitudinallyerrtended bars I) d have secured to them at suitable intervals needle-holders a, which may be adjustably secured to said bars, as by screws ,7, (see Fig. 9,) and each needle a may be secured to its holder 1 so as to be adjustable thereon in a vertical direction by a setscrew g, the said needles being arranged on their carrier so as to penetrate the mattress or other article it to be tufted at the proper place.

In the present instance the needle-carrier is vertically movable, which may be effected, as herein shown, by means of rack-bars a, secured to each corner of said carrier, those rack-bars at one end of said carrier being engaged by gears 7', mounted on a shaft k, and those at the other end of said carrier being engaged by gears mounted on a shaft m. The shaft in. has fast on it a sprocket-wheel a, which is connected by a link chain 0 with a sprocket-w heel s on a shaft q, provided with gears 7', which mesh with the gears j, the said shafts being supported in suitable uprights a, secured to side bars 25, fastened to end pieces w, forming a stationary frame.

The shaft m is provided with a cranlr 16, having a handle If, by turning which the needle-carrier may be raised and lowered with relation to a bed upon which the mattress It is supported.

The bed referred to is open for the passage of the needles and may be made as herein shown, it consisting of end bars 18, side bars 19, and intermediate cross-bars 20, substansaid slot for the tially parallel with said end bars and secured at their ends to said side bars. The side, end, and cross bars comprising the bed may becomposed of angle-irons. The cross-bars are arranged in pairs, as represented in Fig. 4, to leave a space 21 between each pair, into which projects guiding-ribs 22 (see Fig. 13) on the underside of a compressing device, preferably made as herein shown and composed of a substantially arch-shaped body portion 23, (see Fig. 5,) from which extend legs 24, having suitable holes 25 for the reception of screws or bolts 26, provided below the cross-bars 20 with nuts 27, by means of which the compressing device may be secured to the bed in its ad: justed position. The raised body portion 23 of the compressing device is provided with a longitudinally-extendedslot 28 and transverse cavities or pockets 29 on opposite sides of the reception of the tuft 30, (shown in Fig. 14,) which is folded substantially as indicated in Fig. 15 when placed in said cavities.

The slot 28 is made materially longer than the width of the tuft-30, so that when the latter is placed in the cavities or pockets 29 ample room is left for the passage of the needle on opposite "sides of the tuft, as will be described.

The bed referred to is movable bodily laterally with relation to the needle-carrier. which may be accomplished, as herein shown, by means of a rock-shaft 31, having hearings in arms 32. attached to or forming part of the stationary frame, and provided near itso posite ends with upright cranks or arms 33, W ich engage the bed, and, as cranks extend up into a space between two angle-irons 19, 120, constituting a side bar of i the bed. The cranks 33 are made long enough so that when the shaft 31 is rocked in one direction the said cranks will engage the angleiron 19 and move the bed in the direction indicated by the arrow 35, Fig. position represented in Figs. 7and 8, and when rocked in the opposite direction the cranks will engage the angle-iron 120 and move the bed in the direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow 35 and back into the position shown in Figs. 5 and 6. These movements of the bed position a tuft 30 with relation to a needle a so that the needle penetrates the mattress on opposite sides of the tuft, as will be more fully described.

The bed has cooperating with it a clamping member for the mattress it, which member may be made as herein shown, and consists of side, end, and cross bars 37 38 39, suitably secured together and preferably composed of angle-irons. The clamp may and preferably will be bodily movable with relation to the bed, and for this purpose I employ at each end of the bed an elbow-lever comprising the long arm 40 (see Fig. 1) and the short arm 41, both mounted on a pivot 42,

supported by a lug 43, attached to the bed,

herein shown, said ing operation. 5, and into the the said arms being connected by a tie-bar 44, which is adjustably secured to the long arm 40, so as to vary the angle of the short arm 41 to said long arm. The short arm 41 carries a roller 45, which'is adapted to engage a track-piece 46, fastened to the end bar of the clamp. The clamping member is guided in its vertical movement by pins 47, extended into slots 48 in uprights 49, which are adjust ably secured, as by bolts ,50, to the bed, so that the clamping member may be adjusted with relation to' the bed according to the thickness of the mattress. of the clamping member may be made of angle-iron (see Fig. 4) and arranged in pairs to leave a space 51 between them, which is bridged at intervals by compressing devices, each of which, as shown, is provided with a substantially arch-shaped center portion 52, (see Fi 10.) provided with an opening 53 and wit slotted arms 54, which are adapted to embrace the horizontal portion of the angle-irons 39, as shown in Fig. 10, and are adjustable on said angle-irons, said compressing devices being secured in their adjusted position by set-screws 55. 1

In practice the'compressing devices are secured to the bed and its cooperating clamping member, so that when the compressing member is in its closed or operative position the said compressing devices are substantially in line with each other, as represented in Figs. 5 to 8, inclusive e levers 40 may be connected together by a cross bar or rod 56, which forms a handleby means of which the clamping member may be raised and lowered by the operator.

The angle-irons 39 may be provided with. notches or slits 58, see Fig. 4,) by means of which the free end of a. continuous twine or cord may be rendered fast during the tuft- The cord 60 for each needle may be taken from a ball, (not shown,)'but which may be suitably supported above the apparatus.

Provision is made for holding the clamping member in its lowered or operative position, and for this purpose I-have provided on opposite sides of the apparatus automatic catches, herein shown as upright levers 61, pivoted --at their lower ends, as at 62, to stationary supports 63 and having their upper ends extended up above the bed a sufficient distance to insure the hooked ends 64 of said levers engaging the upper surface of the clamping member. The levers 61 are nor:

mally drawn, in against the sides of the bed by springs 65, and the upper ends of said levers may and preferably will be provided with inclined or cam-shaped inner surfaces 66, which are adapted to be engaged by the under surface of the sides of the clamping member when the latter'is lowered from the position shown in Fig. 1 into that shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the said levers beingforced The cross-bars 39 liaeluvard against the action of the springs until the sides of the clamping member have cleared the latch or catch 64, whereupon the springs (35 draw the levers inward. so as to place the catches (it above the upper edge of the sides of the clamping member, as represented in Fig. 2.

'lhe method of tufting mattresses with the apparatus herein shown may be briefly described as follows: Assume the parts of the apparatus to be in the position represented in Fig. l. The operator folds the substantially flat tuft shown in Fig. 14: into the position substantially shown in Fig. 15 and inserts a tuft into the cavities 29 in each compressing device 23 attached to the bed. The mattress /t is then placed upon the bed and the clamping member is lmi'ered to secure the mattress between it and the bed, the portions of the mattress in line with the compressing devices 23 52 being compressed and firmly held, as represented by the dotted lines in Figs. 5 and 8, inclusive, so as to facilitate the passage of the needles through the mattress. The parts are now in the position represented in 3, with the needles in their lowered position. The operator turns the handle 17 in the direction indicated by the arrow 70 to elevate the needle-carrier, and thereby cause each needle to pass up through the slot 28 on one side of the tuft 30 in a compressing device 23, through the mattress and through the opening in a compressor 52 until the needle has been projected above the clam ping member a suilicient distance to permit it to be threaded. which position is represented in Fig. 5. The operator inserts the cord or twine 60 into the eye of each needle, leaving a short length of twine free. The handle 17 is then turned back into the position represented in Fig. 3, so as to lower the needles and withdraw them from the mattress. ltlach individual needle on its downward move ment carries with it the cord or twine in its eye, as represented in Fig. 6, and when the needle-carrier and its needles have been lowered into the starting position (represented in Figs. 3 and 6) the bed and its clamp are moved laterally with relation to the path of the needles by turning the rock-shaft 31 from the position shown in Figs. 5 and 6 to that shown in Figs. 7 and 8. This lateral movement of the bed places the other end of the slot 28 in the compressing device 23 in the path of movement of the needle, and thereafter the operator again turns the handle 17 in the dircction indicated by the arrow 70, so as to carry the needles up through the end of the slot .28 on the other side of the tuft in the cavity 29 and into the position represented in Fig. it will be observed that on the up ward movement ofeach needle a loop is formed about the tuft in the cavity of the compressing device 28, and the portion of the loop above the mattress may then be withdrawn from the eye of the needle and tied to the vention in this respect.

continuous portion of the string or cord, after which the continuous cord may be cut in close proximity to the top of the mattress and the handle 17 turned back into its start ing position to withdraw the needles from the tufted mattress, the free end of the twine or cord being placed in the notch 58 to hold the same in convenient position to the needles. An operator on each side ofthe machine then draws back the catch-levers 64-, so as to disengage the catches from the clamping niemher, after which the latter is elevated into the position shown in Fig. 1 by turningdown the handle 56, thereby leaving ample space for the tufted mattress to be removed from the apparatus. The bed is moved back into its starting position (rrmresented in Fig. 5) by turning the rock-shaft 31 so as to engage the cranks or arms 33 with theanglc-iron 120, and on the continued movement of the rock-shaft after such engagement the bed is moved laterally, the extent of movement being determined by suitable stops, herein shown as pins 75, (see Fig. 1,) projecting from the ends of the stationary frame into slots 76 in the end bars 38 of the bed, as represented in Fig. 1. The apparatus is thus restored to its starting position, whereupon a new or untufted mattress may be placed upon the bed and theop' eration above described repeated.

in the present instance l have shown the in vention embodied in an apparatus in which the needle-carrier is bodily movable in a vertical direction and the bed is bodily movable laterally with relation to the needles, and while if may prefer this construction ll do notdesire tolimit my invention in this respect. So. also, it have shown the needle-carrier as manually operated; but I. do not desire to limit my inl have herein shown one construction of apparatus as embodying the invention; but ll do not desire to limit the invention to the particular construction shown. l have herein described the cord or twine as taken from a continuous cord or ball; but ll do not desire to limit my invention in this respect, as a predetermined length of cord may be used with each needle.

From the above description it will be seen that a single needle is employed for each tuft and that all the needles penetrate the mattress simultaneously, or substantially so, at the points where it is desired to tuft the mattress. 'lhe single needles form loops of the tufting twine or thread by reason of the lateral movement of the needles or mattress one with relation to the other. As a result of this con struction and method of operation the mattress may be tufted in a minimum time without disturbing the filling of the same, and thereby avoiding displacement of the filling, which would render the mattress of uneven thickness and defective in this respect. So, also, the apparatuscan be operated with a min imum power, owing to the fact that a single needle carrying one strand or piece of twine for each tuft can be forced through the mat: tress with materially less power than when two needlesiare employed for each tuft and each carrying a piece or strand of twine. Furthermore, the resistance offered to the passage of a single needle and its twine for each tuft is diminished to such extent as to insure the needles passing through the mattress in a straight path or line, thereby avoiding bending of the needles and insuring proper tufting ofthemattress. So, also,'a material saving in needles and twine .is effected by the use of a single needle for each tuft.

I claim 1. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a bed or support for the mattress, a plurality of rows of needles cooperating therewith, a common carrier to which all of said needles are secured, means for moving said common needle-carrier toward and from the said bed or support, and means for moving said bed or support laterally with relation to the path of movement of the needles, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a bed or support for the mattress provided on its upper surface with a plurality of compressing devices havinga cavity for f the reception of a tuft and provided with-a slot extended substantially at right angles to,

the said cavity, a clamping member cooperating with the said bed to secure the mattress in operative position on said bed and provided on its'lower surface with a plurality of compressing devices cooperating with the com pressing devices secured to the bed, means to secure said clamping member to said bed in its closed or operative position, a plurality of needles, a common carrier to which all of said needles are secured, means to move said carrier toward and from the said bed, and means to move the bed and its clamping member laterally with relation to the path of movement of the said needles, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

' 3. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a bed or support for the mattress and a needle-carrier comprising side, end and intermediate bars, one of said parts being bodily movable'with relation to the other in a substantially vertical plane and the other of said parts being bodily movable laterally, and a plurality of rows of needles rigidly secured to the intermediate bars of said carrier, substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a bed or support for the mattress and a needle-carrier, comprising side, end, and intermediate bars one of said parts being bodily movable with relation to the other, a plurality of rows of needles rigidly secured to the bars of said carrier, and means for efiecting bodily movement of the bed lat1erally with relation to the needles, subbodily movable toward and from said bed or support, means to raise said clamping mem- /ber away from said bed, said means comprising levers 40, 41 and brace-bars 44, and a handle 56 connecting the levers 40, substantially as described. 1

7 In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a bed "or support for the mattress, compressing devices secured to said bed or support and each provided with a cavity for the reception of a tuft and a slot extended substantially at right angles to and beyond said cavity for the passage of a needle on opposite sides of said tuft, a clamping member cooperating with said bed, compressing devices secured to said clamping member and cooperating with the compressing devices on said bed, a common needle-carrier, a plurality of needles rigidly secured thereto, means to move said carrier to cause all the needles to penetrate the mattress held between said compressing devices, and means to move said bed and clamping member laterally with relation to the path of movement of said needles, substantially as described.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, in

combination,a bed or support for the mattress, a clamping member cooperating therewith, a substantially horizontal rock-shaft, substantially vertical cranks or arms on said rockshaft in engagement with said bed and a bandle attached to said rock-shaft to enable the said shaft to be rocked to elfect bodily movement of said bed and clamping member, substantially as described.

'9. In an apparatus of the class described, in combination, a bed or support for the mattress, and a common needle-carrier, a plurality of rows of needles rigidly attached to said com:

mon carrier, means to effect bodily movement of one of said parts laterally with relation to the other, and means to effect bodily movement of one of said parts in a direction substantially at right angles to said lateral movement, substantially as described.

10. The combination in a tufting-machine, of compression members for the mattress, each comprising'a frame anda plurality of projections provided with openings, the said projections extending from opposing surfaces of said frames, one offsaid frames being movable toward and from theother, a plurality of rows of needles arranged to be passed'through the versus H openings in said projections, and means for producinrra relative movement laterally be tween said compressinumombers and needles, substantially as described.

ll. life an apparatus of the class described. in combination, a bed or support for the mattress, a plurality of rows of needles, one for each tuft of the completed mattress, cooperating with said support and arranged to penetrate the mattress at the points where it is to be tufted by bodily movement of one of said parts toward the other, means to effect said bodily movement, and means to effect movement of one of said parts laterally with relation to the other, for the purpose specified,

l2. ln an apparatus of the character de scribed, in combination, a bed or support for the mattress, a common needle-carrier, one of said parts being bodily movable with relation to the other in a substantially vertical plane, and one of said parts being, bodilymovable laterally with relation to the other, and a plurality of rows of needles, one for each tuft of the completed mattress, secured to said com mon carrier, substantially as and for the pur pose specified.

13 in an apparatus of the class described, in combination, a bed or support upon which the mattress is placed, a plurality of rows of needles cooperating with said bed and arranged to penetrate the mattress at the different points over its surfaces where it is to be tufted, one of said parts being bodily movable laterally with relation to the other, and one of said parts beinp; bodily-movable substantially at ritrht angles to said lateral movement, and means to clamp the mattress on its bed or support against movement thereon and to compress the same at the points where it is to be tufted, substantially as described.

it, illhe combination in atuftin r-machine, of a bed or support for the mattress, a plural ity of compressing devices secured to said bed or support and arranged in rows over the sur face thereof at the points where the mattress is to be tufted, a clamping member cooperatinpr with said bed to firmly hold the mattress on said bed against movement thereon, a pin rality of compressing devices secured to said clamping member and arranged in rows over the surface thereof to register with the com pressing devices of the bed and thereby firmly compress the mattress on its opposite sur faces at the points where it is to be tufted, and a pluralityof rows of needles one for each tuft cooperating with said bed or support and arranged to penetrate the mattress at the points under compression, substantially as de" scribed.

lntestimony whereof llhave signed my name to this specification in the presence of two sub-- scribing witnesses.

, Gl ltllbltllil W, BENT;

Witnesses:

due. if. thinner-unit, ill. MURPHY. 

